How to Lift

Put one knee on the ground, and use your arms
and legs to move the object up onto the opposite thigh. Stand
up. Never bend at the waist while lifting.

When lifting, maneuver the object close to your body,
and use the strength in your legs to get the object off the ground,
rather than your low back.

Have you ever heard of anyone straining a thigh muscle
while lifting? Probably not. That is because the muscles in the legs
are longer, stronger and more resistant to strain. The muscles and
ligaments in the back are shorter and prone to muscle spasm.

Start with one knee on the floor, use the strength of
your arms to raise the object up onto your mid-thigh, then use the
power of your legs to stand up. An alternate method is to bend both
knees in a squatting position, grasp the object keeping fingers underneath
it, keep your back erect and stand up. In both examples, use your leg
muscles, not your back, to generate the lifting force.